4 Indian players for whom the Test series against England is very crucial
Ever since Virat Kohli took over the reigns of the Indian Test team in January 2015, frequent changes in the team combination have become a usual thing. The fact that Virat has never opted for the same team in two consecutive Test matches since the time he took over as India's captain is a clear indication of the fact that the Indian captain does not hesitate to make changes if he believes that they are for the benefit of the team.
The 18 member squad for the first 3 Test matches of the series against England has been announced by the selectors. Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, and Karun Nair have made it to the team whereas the Indian ODI and T20I vice-captain, Rohit Sharma, has been dropped.
By dropping Rohit Sharma from the Test team, a clear message has been sent by the selectors that they will not hesitate from making bold calls for the benefit of the team. Fair enough to say, the prevailing cut-throat competition has increased the pressure of performance upon the players. A handful of poor performances and questions over a player's place in the side are raised.
Going into the series against England, some players might have already started feeling the heat. The team management has created an atmosphere where a player can hold his place in the side only if he performs, no matter who he is. Playing against the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Joe Root, and Alastair Cook will not be easy and to defeat them, India will have to play quality cricket.
Here we look a 4 such players for whom the upcoming Test series is going to be extremely crucial.
Shikhar Dhawan
More often than not, the 32-year-old is always the first one to be made the scapegoat overseas. The most recent example of this is the tour of South Africa earlier this year where everyone failed to score in the first Test at Cape Town but only he had to pay the price for it.
Not only the recent South Africa tour but previously he has been dropped midway in the tours of Australia, England, and Windies. The team management has always been hesitant to carry on with him throughout the series outside Asia. His troubles against the short ball have persisted and an average of below 30 outside Asia definitely does not adhere to the standards he has set for himself.
The upcoming series is very crucial in determining his future in red ball cricket. With his opening partner in ODIs, Rohit Sharma, already sidelined from the Test team, he is well aware of the fact that he needs to perform in order to remain in the Test team. Also, he would want to avoid a situation where he is shown the door from the playing XI just after initial few Test matches.
However, the team management must ensure that he gets a sense of security at least for a handful of Test matches. If he is shown the door before being given enough chances to prove himself, it would be a tough pill for him to swallow. Fair enough to say, this series is extremely crucial in deciding whether he will continue to represent India in the whites or not.